On the Run
by Elillierose
Summary: After a run-in with a drunk Detective Reed, Connor makes what could possibly be one of the biggest mistakes he could make. Now, he has no one to rely on other than Hank to help pick up the pieces and clean up the mess. Protective Hank Warning: Minor Character Death.
1. The Incident

Connor readjusted his tie and ran a hand through his hair to make sure all strands were still in place. With the way the weather was picking up, the rain was beginning to drag the locks out of place. Expression relaxed, the android kept his eyes forward, picking up his pace slightly when the glowing letters of "Jimmy's" was finally within sight. It was still a good distance away, but he was close. If Hank wasn't there, then he would have to go to the man's house again, which would have been nothing more than another inconvenience.

' _I'm going to get drunker._ ' Yeah, he was fairly positive Hank would have come here.

He rubbed his hands together and glanced in either direction as he went, wondering why there wasn't quite as many people as one would have expected. It wasn't that far out of the ordinary, it was during the week after all. Though, that never stopped the Lieutenant from his indulgences. He'd definitely have to have a word with the man about this later. The lack of professionalism was nothing short of astounding.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed someone stumble out the door of the bar. There was something familiar about the man. It was too far and dark to know for sure, but he could at least be sure that it wasn't Hank… he was far too young. Connor straightened up and never allowed his attention to waver from the form as it staggered and nearly tripped. They didn't pose a threat as far as he could determine, but he knew the man, he was sure of that much. He attempted to scan the man's face, but with the low lighting and haze of rain, the software was useless.

It wasn't until the other finally lifted his head enough for the android ro recognize him, and he hesitated slightly at the sight, especially after their interaction earlier. Although it hadn't caused any discomfort, he still glanced to his right shoulder. Despite that, the animosity he sensed towards himself was nearly tangible.

"Hey!" Gavin called out, for the first time he seemed steady on his feet. "You're that fuckin' android that's always following Hank like a lost puppy…" That stability was short lived when he went to take another step towards Connor.

"What's the matter...lose yer owner?"

The other didn't react right away. But, when the man took a few more steps and stumbled again, he automatically reached out to prevent the officer from falling. "Excuse me," Connor started in that calm and collected tone, "but you appear to be heavily intoxicated. Perhaps it would be wise if you would allow me to as-"

"Get yer goddamn hands of me, ya asshole!" Gavin bit out, trying to push himself away. However, the android didn't let up and he kept a firm hold.

"My apologies, but I feel I am obliged to assist. It would be irresponsible, regardless of your feelings towards me, if I were to allow you to wonder in your current condition." He hefted the man up, making sure there was no chance of him slipping from his grasp and injuring himself. "I'm afraid I can't help you get to your house just yet though, I still have another matter to attend to. I must ask that you be patient until then."

Gavin mumbled something slurred and incoherent under his breath as he shifted in the other's hold, still trying to pull away. "Damn hunks of plastic…always think they know what's best." He calmed down for only a few seconds before yanking one more time, this time managing to slip free. "Get the fuck off me!"

Connor didn't get the chance to process what was happening before the gunshot sounded out, causing him to instantly reel back and put some distance between the two of them. Blinking, the artificial man glanced down at the spreading stain of blue on his side. Calmly, he straightened back up, eyes darting from the other's face and down to the gun. His finger was still placed over the trigger as the barrel trembled every so slightly.

"What are you doing, Detective Reed?" He tilted his head marginally, brows knit as he watched the man's features. Waiting, searching for any signs of another attack. "You aren't thinking straight, perhap-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Another shot. Luckily, due to his unsteady hand, the bullet missed its target. Connor tried to watch his movements, to predict his next movements. But, the man was all over the place, reading him was proving to be problematic."Detective, your judgement is simply hindered; you are not thinking straight. Now, if you would lower your weapon and consider what you're doing, I'm sure you will come to realize-"

"I said shut your goddamn mouth!"

Third shot wasn't as off the mark as it grazed over Connor's shoulder. Swiftly, brown orbs flicked over to assess the damage. Nothing too major, but he was painfully aware of the rising threat this man posed with each pull of the trigger. His priority instantly changed from finding Hank to de-escalating the situation.

"All of you are so damn annoying," Gavin rambled, stumbling a little bit closer, weapon waving in the air as he spoke. "You all waltz around the place, thinking you're all so fucking perfect. Never wrong, always acting like you're better at our jobs than we are. I'm sick of it!" he spat, swinging his arm around, handle of the gun aimed at Connor's head. Instantly, he raised his arm and easily blocked the attack.

Grabbing Gavin's wrist with his free hand, the android paused, calculating his next words carefully. "Please, listen to reason, Reed. Damaging or destroying me will accomplish nothing. It will only be wasted money, time, and resources. You would be compromising the investigation. I don't believe that's something either of us wants, is it?" Slowly, he loosened his grip on the man, gauging his movements as he gradually pulled back. Tension in the human's muscles was still visible, but he nonetheless lowered the weapon. "I knew you were capable of making the right decision."

He offered what he presumed was a reassuring smile, and after straightening his jacket, he went to turn back around. Out of the corner of his eye, a split second too late, he caught the unmistakable glint followed directly by another 'bang'. Connor didn't need to see where this pullet struck. He could tell even before his diagnostics could alarm him of the damage by the way his left leg buckled underneath him; the limb completely unable to support any weight on it.

Connor raised his head only to look down the length of the pistol, trained at his forehead.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just end it right here and now," Gavin demanded, moving his hand until the metal was touching.

"Doing so would jeopardize your sense of duty, detective. It is as I said, if I am destroyed, another Connor will step in and continue where I left off." He was aware of it, aware that the more he talked, the more Gavin's expression scrunched in anger. "I thought you were smarter than this."

Too far. He knew it was too far before he thought about saying it.

Connor heard the impact of the gun against his face as the force of it knocked him to the ground. The vision in his left eye wavered, flickering until it gave out completely and was veiled in blackness.

"Get up…get the hell up!" Gavin commanded, waving the gun in front of Connor's face. Not knowing what else to do, the android complied, slowly rose, leaning heavily on his still functioning leg. The other scraped uselessly against the concrete.

"Be reasonable. Someone was bound to hear those shots, it's only a matter of time before the cops are contacted," he warned, hoping the bluff would be enough to deter the guy's pursuit.

The man simply scoffed as he pressed the barrel against the back of Connor's head. "Yeah, you think they'll care about a damn machine? You think I'm scared if the police show up? Are you forgetting they all know me?! Half of them hate the lot of you!" He pushed the gun, forcing the other to hobble forward. Slowly, he was directing the android closer and closer to the ally.

It was becoming more and more clear that talking his way out of this wasn't a viable option. The man was too inebriated to listen to reason. If this kept up, there was a dangerously high chance of him being killed. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't risk parts of his memory being lost. Especially not when they were finally making some headway on the deviancy cause. This man, he could potentially ruin their momentum. All because of some unreasonable grudge he clung to.

His eyes darted to the alley, just a few more feet, and it would likely be his last moments in this body. There had to be something, some way out of this, anything. Just a few more steps, and still, he could see nothing that could help. The gun was threatening to tear right through him with the pressure that was added.

"Will you hurry the hell up?!"

Connor couldn't help but reply with that one. "I would have no problem doing so, but in case you have forgotten, you shot my knee, rendering the part useless." There was more bit in those words than he intended, and he was swiftly rewarded with another hit to the head. If his optical unit wasn't busted before, there was no doubt about it now. Another hit and he was down again. He didn't get the opportunity to get back up as his collar was grabbed and Gavin resorted to dragging. For this small moment, the gun was no longer aimed at Connor. It was grasped loosely in the detective's and as he focused on hualing the android into the ally.

It was now or never.

There was no time to consider his options, he snatched the gun from the man's hand, and with it in his hold, Gavin instantly released his hold and backed away by a couple feet.

"You won't fucking shoot," he said, shaking his head. "You're not allowed to, you're not programmed to harm a human. Now, be the good dipshit you are and hand that over. We both know, you hurt me...and it's all over, there won't be a chance in hell of you ever coming back."

He was right, Connor knew he was, but, he didn't move. "I won't shoot, and I will return this. But, only once you let me go and accomplish what I came out here to do. I do not wish to take this further than I must. I didn't want it to get as far as it did, but you gave me no choice."

Carefully, the android eased his way back up, using the wall as support. "Listen, I'm heading to Jimmy's bar, when I reach my destination, I will place this on the ground, and then you can retrieve it and head home. We can leave it at that, and no one has to know what took place here." He could almost read the man's thoughts as he scanned down, his gaze lingered on Connor's injuries. They both knew there was no hiding all the damages.

There was a low and hate-filled, primal growl as the man charged at Connor, colliding with him and causing him to roughly collide with the brick surface behind him. The force jarred him, and for a split second, everything went hazy as his body was violently jostled.

However, there was no mistaking the sound of the gun going off once more.

* * *

"Thanks, but I think it's time I head out," Hank called back, waving a hand as he pulled the door. The light sprinkling instantly struck his face, dragging an annoyed sigh out with it. Just what he needed, some damn rain. Grumbling to himself, the Lieutenant pulled his coat closing and yank the collar of it up to cover as much of his head as he could. Though, it did little good in keeping him dry. In fact, it was borderline useless in accomplishing its job as an umbrella. But, that didn't stop him from keeping it up.

He just wanted to get home and forget this day never happened. They managed to let two deviants escape, and now he was starting to question why any of this was as big of a deal as it was. All of this was bound to happen, this is what happens when man depended on machines so much. It shouldn't have been a huge surprise that things were going awry.

Hank bowed his head as a throb, either from the stress catching up or the alcohol, began to radiate from the back of his head. He swore, this whole case was going to be the death of him one way or another. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his head. There was no way peace would find him for very long, but whatever little time he could get would be welcome.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes again. As soon as he did so, he halted dead in his tracks. Even in his drunken state, he knew something out of place when he saw it.

"What the…?" The lieutenant crouched down and slowly dipped two fingers in the blue liquid before him. It didn't take much thought to know exactly what it was.."Blue blood," he nearly whispered with a hint of bewilderment.

He instantly sobered up as he followed the trail of it, inwardly cringing at how it built up to more and more the longer he followed it. He paused when he was a few feet from a back street.

"Hello?" he called out, listening closely and hearing nothing in return. He knew he probably shouldn't, but his curiosity soon got the better of him. "Dammit," he muttered, abandoning all sense of self-preservation. "Anyone out here? If ya are, why don't ya make this easier for the both of us and come on out."

Hank jumped when something clattered to his right, and he spun on the spot, jolting again. His breath caught in his throat when he recognized that grey jacket and the blue band that contrasted heavily with it. There was no mistaking that outfit, there was no other android that wore it.

"Shit! Connor, you scared the hell out of...Connor? Connor!"The android's back was turned to him, but he just knew it was him. The older man was on his knees next to the android in less than a second. "Hey, hey, what happened?" His hands hovered over the brunet, not knowing what he should do, what he needed to do to help. How was one supposed to help someone made of plastic, metal and wires? But, he supposed he should at least assess the situation.

A gasp escaped before he could stop it. "Holy...Connor…" His focus was immediately brought to the mess that was his left eye. A few sparks still flew from the caved in piece. That entire half of his face was drenched in thirium, blue liquid that still freely flowed from the socket.

"I...I didn't mean to, Hank. I-It was an accident, I didn't do it on-" He stared at his hands, which were also stained with his blood.

"Slow down, son. What are you talking about, what happened?" The moment he questioned, he saw it...the blood on the other's clothes. Blue stains, but not just that...red as well. He looked just a little bit farther passed Connor, and he found what the problem was.

"Fuck," he whispered, noticing the unmoving form of Gavin Reed. Only a few inches from him was his gun, cast aside."Fuck...FUCK! Connor, what the hell did you do?! What happened?" He threw his hands up and spun around to stepp a couple feet away. "Shit! Do you have any idea what you did? You realize you just signed your death sentence! Do you kno-" His words got caught in his throat, the sounds of sirens in the distance stole them away. There was no telling what they were for or where they were going, but he didn't want to stick around to find out.

Without a word, he grabbed Connor's wrist, "Come on, we can talk later, right now, we need to go." However, the android wasn't getting up.

"Dammit, Connor, this isn't the time to be stubborn, get the hell up!" Without a word, the younger man looked down, beckoning Hank to follow his gaze, to settle on the small blue puddle around his knee. "Can you get up? Look, I hate to rush you, but we really need to go." Less than gently, the Lieutenant leaned down and pulled one of Connor's arms over his shoulder, not caring about all the substances he was getting all over himself.

For some reason, there was the feeling he was supporting most of the guy's weight, it was like he wasn't even trying to move on his own. Frustrated, Hank just began tugging, not giving a single damn about if he was being harsh or not. A quick glance back, and he saw Connor's attention still glued to the lifeless body just a few feet away. There was a red flickering just above his right eye. Immediately, Hank let up slightly with his forcefulness. Despite the dire circumstances, he instead tried to approach from a more comforting approach. Or what was considered calmer for him.

"I know, it was an accident, now fucking move, will you? You're heavy and I can't carry you all the way back." He tugged up, trying to guide the younger man, eliciting a stiff inhale out of him.

"Of course," the android muttered. The sound was barely audible, and there was something about the tone that made Hank's chest constrict uncomfortably. "I'm coming. Hank." His fingers gripped the older man's jacket, and finally he straightened up, walking what little he could and depended on his partner to handle the rest. The officer allowed himself to relax marginally as the LED finally faded into a more warm yellow hue.

"It'll be alright. We're going to get you back to my place, get you cleaned and fixed up, you can explain everything that happened. and then we'll figure this out. Everything is going to be fine." He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or not, but there was no mistaking the slight tremble he felt running through Connor. All he could think to do was keep reassuring him and make sure the both of them kept moving. Hell, at this point he wasn't sure which one of them he was trying to convince.

Connor really fucked up this time.


	2. Reversed Roles

**Beta read by: Selador**

 **Thank you so much for all that read and all the feedback on this thus far. I was a bit nervous, but so relieved to see people are in fact enjoying this so far. And, I think I finally know the direction I want to go with this. ;D**

* * *

 **Kathleen46 : Thank you so much! And same, I was a bit skeptical at first, since for me it popped up out of nowhere. I don't even remember the demo. And thank you again! I feel so honored. ;A; Hope I don't disappoint, and since you've read my FFXV stuff, you know what kind of direction this should be taking. xD Ready to get deep into the feels and angst. lmao.**

 **Creative Note : Thank you so much! Hope it's not too stale, there is a lot of talking in this one. **

**Yurosoku : Well, I can only hope so. Not sure how long I plan for this one to go on though. Buuuuut, I do have some plans~**

 **Sakin2003 : Hnnnng, thank you, and I will try my best. -**

 **Andreea Andreea1 : Poor Connor indeed, and it is only going to get worse from here. :D**

 **MagicalWitch92 : :D Why thank you, it's much appreciated. And no worries, I plan on seeing this one through 'til the bitter end. ;D**

* * *

Hank nearly slammed the door behind him, letting go of his hold long enough for Connor to stumble away. The android made it a few steps before collapsing on the couch. The brunet hadn't uttered a single word since they left that area, not so much as a syllable had passed over his lips. Out of breath, the Lieutenant flicked the locks and pressed his back against the door. Slowly, he slid down and pressed his face into his hands.

"J-Jesus Christ…"

Carefully, Connor sat up, looking around as if just noticing the stains he was getting everywhere. "I'm sorry, Hank. I don't know wha-"

"What the hell were you thinking out there?! Huh?! I hated the guy too, but come the fuck on, Connor!" The man yelled, finally releasing his built up tension. "And in the middle of all that's happening! You picked the worst damn time to do something this stupid!" He ran a hand through his hair, gripping at the roots in a futile attempt to keep the limb from trembling so much. Lifting his gaze, he stared at the younger man, seeing that the android wasn't even looking at him. His attention was still on the floor, stare unnaturally large.

Sighing heavily, Hank mumbled a soft 'shit' and dropped into a kneeling position next to Connor. "Just...tell me what happened. Tell me exactly what happened out there. Because I know damn well you didn't just attack out of the blue. If that were the case, you'd probably have killed me by now."

"That's not true," the brunet answered less than a second later. "I-I wouldn't kill you. I wouldn't kill anyone. I'm not allowed to, that's not in my programming. I'm not built to harm humans. I'm not!" His voice rang out and one hand gripped the back of the couch as he rose. His other hand was shaking, clenched at his side.

Just as abruptly, Connor blinked a few times, as if trying to think, and then lowered back down with ease. "I killed him."

Hank swallowed thickly, and tried not to let the confession stump him too much. He couldn't allow his apprehension and surprise show through, not at the moment. He kept his shoulders straight and his face as unreadable as possible.

"Tell me what happened. You have to trust me."

"O-Ok, ok," Connor nodded. For the first time, he met the human's eyes, his one functioning eye flicking from one blue rob to the other. "I trust you." He closed his eye and crossed his hands in his lap. "I was on my way to find you, I knew you'd be at the bar. But," he pressed his lips into a thin line, "Gavin came out, a-and he was drunk." His eye snapped back open. "I tried to help him, he was in no condition to walk around alone at night like that. He refused, and I insisted. I should have listened and let him go, Hank. This could have been avoided if I would have just obeyed his request. I'm supposed t-"

The older man held out a hand. "Connor, it's not your fault. Keep going."

The android shifted, appearing uncomfortable. "He...pulled the gun, and he shot me." He glanced quickly at the deep stain on his side. "I tried to reason with him, to get him to come to his senses; he wasn't himself, but I wasn't getting through. I-I didn't approach the situation the best I could have." His hands unclasped and instead started rubbing over his thighs. "Things escalated, I got the gun from him. I didn't want to shoot, I hadn't planned on doing it."

"No, Gavin was himself, trust me. Guy was just a prick. No need to make excuses for someone like that...you did what you had to, and I know it wasn't on purpose." He took a deep breath and straightened up. "Come on, we should clean this blood off you." He offered a hand, and the younger man was hesitant, but eventually he accepted, relying heavily on the human to keep him upright.

Slowly, and with a bit of struggling, the two of them made it to the bathroom and Hank eased the other to sit on the edge of the tub. "Looks like the tides have turned," he mumbled to himself, finding this situation all too familiar. "Good thing you're waterproof. And, don't take this the wrong way, but get those clothes off."

Without delay, Connor began to do as he was told, fingers fumbled around his tie, forcing the other man to step in and lend a hand. Everything now off, Hank gathered the materials in a pile and flipped the water on. "Make sure you get it all off you." He looked over the androids injuries. "We'll find out what to do about the rest once this is clean."

The Lieutenant went straight to work on washing clothes, but every time he passed by, Connor was still sitting in the exact same position he left him in.

"Dammit, Connor, you can't just sit there. There's no going back and changing what happened." His words appeared to snap the other out of his thoughts as his attention snapped up. He nodded in acknowledgement, and without a word he turned towards the water and plucked the washcloth from it's rung. As if on autopilot, a practice routine, the brunet swiped most of the blood from himself.

By the time Hank was mostly done, he stopped by once more to see there was still a good bit of thirium on the android's face. "Let me get that for you," he muttered, uncharacteristically softly. Gently taking the cloth, he began dabbing it around the busted eye. Despite Connor unable to feel any physical pain, the man still found himself being overly gently with it. "So, I don't suppose you guys come with any spare parts?"

Connor slowly shook his head. "No, but I can send a request back to cyberlife and have them send some over via drone."

"You do that then. We need to get all this fixed before anyone can start connecting dots. It won't be too suspicious, will it? Their prototype having new pieces sent?"

Again, the android moved his head from left to right. "Damages are something to be expected. It wouldn't be the first time I was in need of a few replacements." He closed his eye as his LED flashed yellow for a few seconds. "They should be here by morning." He then looked back to his side and knee. "I should still try and prevent more thirium from leaking," he muttered, almost forgetting about the bleeding.

"I'll see if I can find something."

Connor remained as he was as Hank bagan digging through cabinets. The man paused when he came across some gauze, but those were quickly replaced. No way those would work on an android. None of the stuff he had would work; pressure would do nothing. It wasn't like he was trying to stunt actual veins. It was more like trying to stop water from leaning out of a hose. Then the thought came. It wasn't practical...but it should do.

"Stay here, don't move."

The instruction was unnecessary, he wasn't sure the kid could go anywhere if he wanted to unless he wanted to drag himself around. Hank moved as quickly as he could, not knowing how much of that stuff they could lose until it became problematic. He dug through his junk drawer, swearing under his breath with each item he came across that wasn't what he was seeking. A few curses later, he finally came across the roll of duct tape.

'I guess this will work,' he thought to himself. It fixed everything else. He'd be lying if he said he didn't use it on himself a couple times whenever he had a rough run-in. It was practical.

Hank knelt down as soon as he was over. "How ya holding up?" he asked, going for the wound on Connor's side first, seeing as that appeared to be the worst of them.

"I'm fine. No major biocomponents were compromised. All of my vital functions are working as they should an-"

"That's not what I meant," Hank interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "How are you handling it?" He looked into the usually soulless eye, something that never showed much more than a reflection, but now...there was more there. Either that or he was simply seeing what he wanted to see. "You defended yourself, Connor, that's something you've never done, I'm sure. What made you want to do it?"

The android's head pivoted to face directly towards the man. "I needed to preserve my memory. We both know if I'm destroyed then fragments of my recordings could be lost. That's all there is to it."

"To the point of resorting to violence against a human?"

"No!" Connor shouted, raising his voice far more than he intended. "No… It wasn't on purpose. He lunged and the gun went off. I didn't pull the trigger." His tone faded and he went pack to his earlier behavior of staring at the floor. "I don't think I did. I-I don't remember doing that. If I harm a human, I'll be permanently deactivated, and that would cause the investigation to suffer. I _know_ I wouldn't have risked that."

Hank's expression softened. It wasn't the reaction he was expecting, it through him off. "I know. You wouldn't hurt someone unless you had no other choice. From the sound of it, there was nothing else to do. You did what anyo- what any human would have done in that situation."

"But I'm not human, Hank. I shouldn't make human decisions."

"There's a first for everything." There were a few seconds of silence before the Lieutenant clapped the android on his good knee and pushed himself up. "Alright, you're all patched up. Or, as good as I can do. I'm no mechanic, but you're not making a mess everywhere now. You didn't lose too much of that stuff?"

The other blinked again as he scanned himself over. "No, I still have a sufficient amount to be in working order." Almost instinctively, his left hand wandered to his side, fingers tracing over the tape.

"Your clothes are drying. I guess I'll lend you something of mine until they're done." Once more, he strolled back into the hall. "Hope you aren't too picky because the selections here are slim." He wasn't gone for more than a minute before he returned and tossed a wad of attire at the android. "Here, that should be good enough."

Connor, skeptically, looked the materials over. They appeared worn. A little tacky, but at the moment, he wasn't too concerned with appearances. He quickly slipped them on, shuffling slightly at the way they hung loosely. Hank was kind enough to give him an extra couple minutes before returning.

"Alright, I think this is all I can do for ya for now. So, how about we discuss what to do from here."

"I have to turn myself in. I'm defective, I can't be allowed to stay out he-"

"Will you shut the hell up with that already. You're giving me a damn headache," the older man grumbled. He grunted with the effort of hefting the android up. "We're not bringing you in unless you have a death wish. And, by your actions tonight, I'd say you don't."

"...Why are you helping me?"

The man paused, knitting his brows in thought. "I dunno," he answered honestly.

"I'm not a human, I'm just a machine. So why? Why do you feel the need to commit a crime for my sake when I'm the one that did wrong? It doesn't make sense." Hank should have just left him there, he was doing nothing but creating problems for himself. Now he was involved, and if they got caught - this was tampering with evidence. _He_ was evidence.

The older man huffed again as he readjusted his hold. "Just shut the hell up for once would you? Always rambling about being a machine. Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?"

"I…"

Gently, Hank helped him into a chair as he began a pot of coffee. "Look, there is no way of them knowing it was you. No DNA, no proof. For all they know, it was a deviant. It could have been any android. With all the cases piling up, it could have been any of those missing plastic pricks."

"I can't put the blame on another."

"Why not? They're already ordered to e caught and terminated, it won't make a lick of difference." He pushed himself to lean back. "It's not like we'll be blaming anyone in particular."

At this, Connor seemed to think about it. Hank was right, he made a very valid point. Yet, he wasn't sure, it was protocol. An android malfunctions, it gets sent back to be analyzed. This was imbedded in his circuits. They could get away with this, he could get out of being destroyed. Which meant no chances of losing precious memory. "You think it's possible?" he asked, narrowing his gaze as he looked to the Lieutenant.

With a heavy exhale, the older man took the chair across from him. "Yeah, I do. As long as you keep your mouth shut and keep acting like the stick in the mud that you are, no one will be none the wiser." For a few minutes, they both fell silent. The severity finally starting to settle in now that things were no longer hectic. Truth was, Hank had no idea, there was no telling if there were any witnesses and he never checked to see if Detective Reed was even really dead. He didn't want to say it, but maybe it would be best if he was.

For the first time, Hank looked back to the light on the younger man, relieved to see it fluctuating between blue and yellow. Still wasn't ideal, but it was far better than the constant red it had been earlier.

"You want me to...lie?" Connor asked after some time.

Hank nodded once. "Yeah, I want you to lie. Make than an order as well. You are NOT to say a word about anything that happened to another soul. Do you understand me?"

"Understood."

Connor's eye averted, glancing down as something brushed by his leg. Tentatively, the android reached down and allowed his hand to run down the back of Sumo's back. "Good boy," he muttered, patting the canine on the head before retracting his arm and folding both over the table. Realizing that was the end of his pets, the dog plopped down right where he was, remaining by the android's side.

"Guess he remembers you," Hank commented as the LED stayed at a steady blue now. "So, about what happened tonight, you sure you're alright? And I don't mean physically, I mean your, uh, head, everything fine up there?"

The brunet lowered his gaze slightly, ring blinking. "If you're asking if I'm deviant, then the answer is no, I'm not," he answered borderline defensively. "You don't have to worry about that. I was specifically created for the purpose of hunting them and finding out the reason for them being as such. I would not be so faulty as to forget that purpose so easily." He said this with such confidence, but the slight furrow of his brows and yellow flicking said otherwise.

Shaking his head and finishing the last of his coffee, Hank pushed himself up. "It's getting late," he announced, sounding suddenly weary, giving way to his climbing years. "I'm going to head to bed. You...do whatever, just don't get in trouble, and don't you think about leaving this damn house."

"Understood."

Before making his exit, the Lieutenant snapped his fingers and whistled. "Come on Sumo, time for bed. Give him some space." He snapped a couple more times, but the animal didn't budge, seemingly perfectly comfortable right where he was. "Well, same applies to you then: behave." He looked back to Connor. "If anyone knocks, ignore them. If anyone calls, ignore them. Don't let anyone know you're here. Not until your parts come in and you're fixed."

"Know one will know. Not unless they see a need to track me. But I do not believe that's a likely concern."

"Right...I'll see you in the morning then."

As Hank left him alone, Connor straightened up and folded his hands in his lap. Closing his eye, he spoke softly to himself, the words barely audible, "My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife." He repeated this mantra a couple more times. "My name is Connor, I'm…" his eye squeezed a little tighter and he tilted his head as the image of Gavin's lifeless form flashed in his head. "I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

* * *

He opened his eyes once more and quickly took in his surroundings. Everything was warm, welcoming as he straightened up and smoothed out his tie. He wasted no time strolling over the bridge and directly to the center. As per usual, he paused just a few feet away from his mutual.

"Hello, Amanda," he greeted, beckoning the older woman to turn and face him.

"Connor," she replied with a slight tilt of her head. "How have things been?" she asked, an edge of accusation to her tone. "You seem quite...troubled."

The android hesitated with his response. "The investigation is still underway. But, it seems as though things may become hindered. Something happened. Something in which I failed to prevent. Regardless, I won't let any inconveniences get in the way of my mission. That, I can assure you."

Amanda smiled softly at that, but the sharp spark in her dark eyes remained. "That's reassuring to hear. However, I can still see the doubts you have. Doubts in your task, doubts in your actions. ...Doubts in yourself." He visible stiffened, lips pressing together as he shifted on the spot.

"I don't have any doubts about anything. I know what I must do, and I will do it," he declared. "I will stick to my mission and see it through to the end, and I will not let anything get in my way of doing so.

"Or anyone?" she inquired without missing a beat. "Connor, you are our most advanced model to date. Don't tell me that even our best is succumbing to such chaos. You're not as you should be, and I need to know for a fact that you aren't venturing closer to deviancy."

"I'm not!" the android replied in a clipped tone. "I have done nothing wrong. If an accident happens, you can be assured that that's all it was. An unfortunate event that could not have been prevented. You know better than anyone that I would never consider directly harming a human."

The woman's expression never changed. As the last word left his mouth, she slowly turned back towards her roses. Softer, more direct, she simply stated, "A new report came in. Another homicide. It seems the suspect is an android again, one that fled the scene." She turned her head just enough to gaze over her shoulder. "Near Jimmy's Bar, you should make seeing to that your priority."


	3. Investigation

**Beta read by: Seladorie**

 **Sorry for the late update, but I recently moved and things are just now starting to settle down and now getting situated. So, things should come out faster now and at a more steady pace. ^-^ Thank you so much for your patience!**

* * *

 **Creative Note : Oh yeah, hes fine...for now. :D There's still some things that will happen before all is said and done. ;D**

 **Yurosoku : Ohhhh no, definitely not. Especially when he's programmed to tell exactly what happened. - **  
**Things are about to get a little dicey, and Hank will likely go into full dad mode here soon. C:Thank you for the review and glad you're enjoying~**

 **Andreea Andreea1 : Ohhhhhh yes. :D It was only a matter of time~**

 **Morgana-Mikaelson : XD I hope I made it interesting enough. If not, then the next one will be full of action and hopefully even more intense and nerve-wracking. If I can pull it off, that is.**

* * *

Hank wasn't even sure if he could have called that a good night's sleep. He couldn't manage to keep his eyes shut for more than a few minutes at a time, if that much. It was nothing but tossing and turning and wishful thinking. He let out a heavy breath as he ran a weary hand down the length of his face. What the hell was he doing? Connor was a criminal, he was harboring a criminal. And android felon to top it all off.

He almost wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. Frustrated, he tossed the comforter aside and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"I need some fresh air," he muttered, stifling a yawn. 'And a drink,' he added in his head. He wasn't nearly drunk enough to deal with this right now. Though, he'd probably never be drunk enough for this shit. His eyes instinctively drifted to his door, and he shook his head before slowly pushing himself up with a low groan.

Mumbling incoherently to himself, he dragged his feet towards his bathroom. He faced the mirror, looking in particular at the dark circles under his eyes. Shaking his head, Hank turned the faucet on and splashed a generous amount of chilled water over his face. Hands now gripped on the table, his eyes were pulled to the side, to the small blue droplets decorating the floor near his shower.

There was no point in trying to go back to bed, it wouldn't do any good. He would do nothing but lie there until the sun came up. The Lieutenant pushed himself away from the counter and headed back towards the kitchen. "Connor, you still awake in here?" he asked flatly as he rounded the corner. He paused and leaned against the wall when he saw said man sitting quietly with his hands folded on the table.

"I don't need to sleep," the android reminded needlessly. "But, tell me, why are you still up?" he questioned out of curiosity.

Hank simply shrugged and sauntered his way back to his seat. "That's a good question." He dropped himself down with a sigh and leaned back. "Couldn't sleep, too much on my mind," he replied, waving a dismissive hand.

"Oh," Connor whispered, instantly looking back away. He remained silent for a few more seconds, hesitating on giving the news to the other man. "Another report came in," he started, peering over to gauge the other's reaction. So far there was nothing other than a small nod of acknowledgement. "Another...deviant attack," he continued, lower. Now he seemed to have Hank's attention as he looked to the android intently. The anticipation was clear in his eyes. "By Jimmy's bar." He left it at that and dropped his focus back to his hands.

The air around them thickened, silence taking over as the severity settled down. "Guess there's no choice then," the human muttered, "we're going to have to check it out." Connor was reluctant, but slowly, he straightened back up. "But, you don't have to go back there if you don't want to. I'm sure I can think of an excuse, so you just stay here."

"No, I'm going too," the android defied. "I still have a duty to uphold, and I'm not going to let you go there alone to clean up my mess."

"You are a poor excuse of a machine," Hank sighed. "Never listen to a damn thing I say." There was no hostility in his words. "You know you're going to have to lie though. You're going to have to be wrong about this, and you're going to have to play it cool. If anyone, any of them, think for a second you're covering something up, then it's curtains, you got that?"

Connor stared at him for a few second, lips pressed firmly together. "Yes," he finally answered, though it was tight.

"Guess we'll head out as soon as your parts get here then. Mainly because I don't want to haul your heavy ass everywhere." He glanced the younger man over, checking in particular the patches of tape. "Nothing leaking, is it?" Connor subtly shook his head. "And how much longer until they get here?"

The android tilted his head slightly. "They should be arriving within the next hour if there are no complications along the way."

For the next half hour, the two of them sat in relative silence, uttering no more than a few words here and there. There was a lot Hank wanted to say, wanted to ask, but he was pretty positive he already knew the kind of responses he was likely to get. The same monotone shit he always got. He swore, the kid could go on for hours upon days about how much he was indeed an android. The man glanced down at the brunet's hand as it dropped to his side, fingers glancing and brushing over Sumo's head. His dog, in turn, licked a few times at the touch, returning the affection.

"He really likes you," he observed.

Connor smiled and opened his mouth to reply. But, before a single syllable could escape his mouth, he snapped it back shut as his LED flashed yellow a couple of times. "The parts are here," he informed, nodding towards the door. Hank already got the hint and waved a hand before pushing himself up.

The Lieutenant leisurely answered the door and accepted the package. "I hope you know how to repair yourself," he muttered, dropping the box on the table. The younger man didn't respond, instead slid the box closer and began removing the pieces. There was no hesitation as he quickly got to work. Hank found himself looking away more than once, especially when it came to replacing his eye. And again when Connor popped his leg off to replace his knee. He may have been made of plastic. But watching anything so much as resembling a human pull parts of its body off was anything but pleasant.

"I'll just, uh, check on your clothes," he mumbled. Anything to keep him from witnessing this dismemberment any longer. He didn't even bother to ask, but he really hoped that stuff was washer safe. Peeking inside, all seemed to be in order, maybe this stuff was just as durable as their androids. Luckily they were dry enough. Even if they weren't, what would it matter, not like damp material would bother him any. He shook the wrinkles out, or as much as he could. Deeming it good enough, he draped the clothes over his arm and made his way back.

Hank sighed in relief; Connor was on his feet, everything in order as it should have been. Only thing he could notice that was still a tad on the odd side was his eye. The area around the piece was still a bit warped. Nothing too noticeable though unless you were really paying attention to it.

"Everything in working order?"

The android nodded and plucked one more thing out of the box. A small pouch with blue liquid; it was clear enough to know exactly what that was. Without delay, it was screwed open and the brunet began to down the substance.

"Oh, come on," the older man groaned in partial disgust. It wasn't exactly blood, but it was the same enough. "I thought you said you didn't lose too much of that stuff."

Once done, Connor discarded the empty container. "I was still able to function properly enough with the amount I had. However, my thirium levels still were not at ideal levels," he explained with a small smile. He looked the older man's face over. "Apologies, I suppose it's a little unsettling to have to watch."

Grumbling under his breath, Hank waved a hand. "So, you good to go now?" he asked, voice picking up an air of softness. For the first time, he saw what appeared to be a flicker of apprehension cross the other's features before he nodded with a small 'yes'. "Go ahead and change then, I'll be waiting outside," he instructed, handing his outfit over. "And...take your time, there's no rush."

The lieutenant leaned against the wall once he was outside, arms folded over his chest. Each exhale sent another puff of mist to fade off. After a few minutes passed, he realized his offer to take as much time was needed was accepted. Maybe this was bothering the guy more than he was letting on. That or he forgot how to get dressed. Just as he pushed himself off the house and prepared to stroll back in, the door was thrust open. Seeing Connor now, in his normal attire, it was almost like nothing had ever happened.

"Ready, Lieutenant?" Connor asked, expression calm and collected.

"Yeah."

Without another word, the younger man strolled past, head held high as all of his earlier reluctance and timidness dissipated. He slid into the passenger side and patiently waited for his human companion to join him. Said man didn't take long before following suit. Hank sat there for a moment, taking it all in before cutting his eyes over. "You sure you're good to go?"

Connor curtly nodded, "Yes."

"Alright, if you say so. Just remember...no letting anyone know the truth. Lie if you have to." He watched as the android slowly nodded. "And don't worry, we'll figure it out and get out of this, alright?" With that being said, the Lieutenant started the car off, and they were on their way. Whatever may come, the two of them would make it through, and figure things out along the way.

"Is that an order?" Connor asks with a surprising edge of hope to his usually monotone voice.

"If it has to be."

* * *

The moment they rolled to a stop, Hank noticed the slight squaring of the other's shoulders as he straightened up even more. He would have thought that impossible. For the first time, Connor was out of the car before he was, already heading towards the scene. As he watched the android venture farther away, he could make out the subtle falter in his step. Clearly his self-repair job wasn't the best.

Finally, Hank slipped out after the brunet and quickly caught up to stroll next to him. "You sure you're ready for this?" he asked under his breath.

"Of course I am," Connor replied coolly, "I was programmed to do this. I was created to accomplish my task...no matter what." The last part was added quieter, very aware of what he was possibly getting himself into.

The Lieutenant merely nodded, fully trusting he had this under control. They went just a few more steps before Hank found himself pausing, halting mid-stride to take in Gavin's form. Earlier, he didn't get the chance to really get a proper look at the man. But, now that he was here, there was no debate about whether or not he was dead; there was no chance he was alive with that clean bullet wound decorating the center of his forehead.

"Christ," Hank muttered, doing his best to feign surprise. To be fair, even expecting something like this, it still wasn't easy to take in. He didn't see the body fully before now, it was honest to say that he really was in a state of shock almost. Connor did this… "What the fuck happened here?" He turned his head slightly to get a good look at the officer in charge, Wilson, who in turn shook his head. "What, I couldn't have gotten some sort of warning!? This was a man I worked with for Christ's sake!" He'd think there were plenty of others who could take this job.

Said man gestured to the ground with his hand, "Look, none of us are too pleased to be here, alright? You think any of us wanted to be called in the middle of the night to come investigate a murder only to see someone we knew? All of us knew Gavin, and I can tell you, none of us are more thrilled than you to see this." He took a deep breath as if to compose himself. "If it weren't for the fact that this falls under your jurisdiction, trust me, I wouldn't have called you here."

The officer took a deep breath and turned back to the body, a visible shudder ran through him. "As for what happened, I'll let you tell me."

Reluctantly, Hank followed the other's attention and fought the urge to flinch at the sight of thirium...and a lot of it. "Deviant, huh?" he concluded, mouth suddenly dry.

"Only thing it could be."

Behind him, Hank could hear Connor shuffling around, wasting no time in heading straight to the evidence. It really was like he had forgotten everything altogether. How he envied that ability. Alas, the images were still fresh in his mind, and it wasn't doing him any favors to know that the body was only a few feet away from him. Without looking in its direction, he could almost feel those now lifeless eyes staring at him.

Awkwardly, the Lieutenant nodded to the other before turning back towards the android, who was crouched next to the body. He looked to be scanning him, or whatever the hell it was he did during these investigations. Cautiously, he approached the brunet and kneeled down next to him.

"So," he started, tone low, "any ideas what you're going to do? You know they expect some sort of answers out of you. They expect you to start figuring this out, and if you say nothing…"

"I'm aware of my expected duty," the other replied, straightforward.

Hank nodded sharply. "Alright, I'll let you do your thing," he muttered as he straightened back up with a weary groan. He had to force himself to look away while, as usual, Connor dipped his fingers in the blue liquid. He wasn't sure why it was, but this was the first time he felt truly repulsed by the action. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this was his own 'blood' this time. It was the equivalent of himself tasting his own blood as far as he was concerned.

Closing his eyes, the man turned away as the sample was analyzed. He already knew who it belonged to, why did he see a point in testing it? As the liquid made contact, the android slowly pulled his hand away to stare at it in thought. His lips formed a straight line as the words swirled in his head.

He wanted to say it, but every other part of him was warning him against it. It wasn't until he sensed another presence next to him that he looked away to greet said person.

"Well?" Officer Wilson said loudly. "What's it belong to, come on, spit it out already."

"Give it a moment, will ya?" Hank stepped in, borderline defensively as he stepped between the two of them. "It may be the best there is to offer, but it's still not a miracle worker. It'll give the model when it knows what that is, alright?" His arms were folded over his chest as he basically looked down at the other man. He suppressed a shiver at the use of 'it'. Calling Connor 'it' never bothered him before. Because, that's what he was, right? A thing, a tool? But, thinking back to earlier that night, the panic, the fact that Connor didn't know what to do...it was so…

Human.

With a huff, the officer took a couple steps back and took to rubbing the back of his neck impatiently. Seriously, the nerve of this guy. Makes a name for himself and he thinks he can talk to those beneath him however he wants.

Seeing as they were left with some sort of peace, Hank turned back to Connor. "Okay, take your time. And remember, not a word of the truth." His voice was quiet, so much so, even the android had a hard time picking up on it. The younger of the two gave a small nod of understanding. Looking Hank in the eyes, he slowly rose to his feet and turned to face the other man. Connor wore a mask of confidence and assurance as he gazed him straight on.

"The model is...R-" he pauses and blinks a few times in quick succession before forcing his answer to shift, "AC700." As he says this, his LED flicks to yellow for a split second before returning to its composed blue. Fortunately, for both him and Hank, there's no other proof other than what he says. They have nothing else to go off of and have no choice but to believe whatever the android says. He's programmed for this line of work.

"I'll send word back to the station," the officer muttered, showing no sign of doubt.

As he turned to make his leave, Hank lets out a relieved sigh, his heart finally slowing down and his shoulders relaxing just a small amount. They weren't in the clear just yet, but it was a start. As long as no one began to suspect anything, then all should be good. He glanced in Connor's direction to see him still standing there, and if it were possible, he appeared to be even more stiff than usual. He had no idea that was possible.

"You good?" he asked, placing a gently, yet supportive hand on his shoulder.

Connor hesitated for a moment before standing back up. His movements are strangely stiff, more so than one would expect from an android. "Yes. Hank. I'm fine," he assures, turning to face the man. The human's eyes narrow as they look directly to the LED...flickering, almost at a steady red. Averting his eyes to to the brown eyes, he can see it, the emotion he never expected to witness in that blank stare.

Fear.

As Hank opened his mouth to question the android, a single instruction caught his ear and caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Send this sample back to the lab to get it tested."

Hank looks over just as one officer is handing a vial of blue liquid over to another, and his heart comes to a sudden and painful stop.

Fuck.


End file.
